Daily Devotional – 3/6/14 “Wait on the Lord!”

There’s been a song in my head all week that says, “I don’t mind waiting, I don’t mind waiting, I don’t mind waiting on you Lord.” I don’t know why this song was placed into my spirit but then it dawned on me yesterday. See, I’ve been worrying over some things that haven’t even happened yet and while I was worrying, God had already worked it out. While I was stressing, God had already settled it. Yea, here I am trying to fix it and God had already finished it! I got the nerve to try to put my hand in the fire that God was putting out. I had the audacity to be wrecking my nerves over a battle that wasn’t even mine to fight. Who am I to worry anyway when God has already told me in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future?”

And who are we to rush God when Psalm 37:7-9 says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land?” Yes, I know that worrying comes naturally and stressing is sometimes needed in order for us to appreciate God’s sacrifice but don’t allow it to consume your life. The bible finishes this for me better than I could have ever done in Isaiah 40:27-31 (The Message Bible), by simply stating; “Why would you ever complain, O Jacob or whine Israel, saying, “God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.”

I’ve always wondered why God references an eagle but in my studying, I’ve found that an eagle is powerfully built with a hard head and beak and even stronger eyes. And they have larger wings which allow them to fly faster. Which breaks down like this, when you wait on God, He gives you strength but not just any strength but the strength of an eagle which allows you to fly above the mess that should have made you miserable, see the stuff that should have shattered you and made you stumble and may even fall but not fail, may be stabbed in the back or either drug to hell and back yet your body is strong to take it and then heal. Yea, you have an eagle’s strength so get an eagle’s mentality which makes your head hard enough to endure those who say you won’t amount to nothing or be anything and prove them wrong. Get an eagle’s mentality whose beak is strong which means your beak (mouth) is even stronger to speak life and not death. So, wait on the Lord and don’t mind doing it!

Daily Devotional – 3/5/14 “Somebody needs reminding!”

There was this man who was homeless and would spend his days sitting in the subway station with a cup asking anyone who would help him for change. Each day this young woman would pass by in her expensive suit, expensive tennis shoes (her expensive heels were in her expensive bag), while talking on her expensive cell phone and although she passed the same way every morning and every evening, looking him in his eyes, she never would place even a penny in his cup. After a month or so, this man got up the courage to say, “Excuse me ma’am, can you spare some change?” Yet she looked at him, again in his eyes, but never mumbled a word. Late one evening, the man was again in the same spot in the almost empty subway when he saw the young lady pass by but this time he noticed a suspicious looking man following behind her so when she got ready to pass by he grabbed her arm. She became furious raising her voice asking him why he would put his dirty hands on her $300 suit. She kept ranting and raving saying I don’t know you and for you to touch me, you must want me to scream for the police. Finally after a few minutes, he let her go. She said, “The nerve of you to grab me like that, who do you think you are? I can’t believe you just did that!” Finally able to speak, he said, “Ma’am, please excuse me for grabbing on you but..,” she interrupted, “But what? What gives you the right or the authority to put your hands on me?” He said, “Ma’am, if you would let me explain. I grabbed you because there was a man walking closely behind you with a knife and he was about to snatch you and your bag and the only way I could stop it was to grab you. My apologies ma’am, I won’t ever touch you again.” She slowly stepped back to regain her composure because she couldn’t believe someone, a stranger who she avoided like the plague, would risk his life to save hers. Tears started to swell in her eyes and although her mouth was open, no words were present. He stood there just to make sure she was alright and when he started to leave, she placed her hand on his arm to stop him. With the tears now streaming down her face, she said, “Day after day I walk past judging you because of the way you look without even knowing your story or putting money in your cup even though I have it to spare. I never take the time to offer you a cup of coffee or the sandwich in my bag because I think I’m better than you and wouldn’t ever be in your shoes but who am I? You risked your life to save mine after the months that I’ve ignored you, never speaking or even asking your name. Why would you do that?” He replied, “I’m just paying it forward. See, I didn’t ask to be in the situation that I’m in but when I got sick with cancer I lost my job then I lost my apartment and all my so-called friends but I never lost God. Even in the midst of my begging for change in this subway, God healed my body. Even in the midst of you and others ignoring my pleas for help, God never allows me to be hungry. Even when folks judge me without knowing my story, God never allows me to be cold while I’m sleeping outside. Even when I don’t know how to make it, God does and because God never forgets about me, the least I can do is be true to his word which says in Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” I’m simply doing what God will have me to do.”

Isn’t that something? Now, this was part of a devotional I wrote on 3/6/12 entitled “Pay it forward,” and although I had every intention on writing something different God’s plan is so much better. See, many times we get so caught up in the hype that we allow ourselves to become higher than others because we’ve forgotten how we got there yet God is still there waiting. Who are you to judge someone? Who are you to look down your nose at others? Don’t you put your pants, shirt, dress or suit on the same way they do? If I cut you, won’t you bleed red blood? Doesn’t your heart beat like mine? Don’t you hurt like me? Can’t you fall just as surely as I can? Oh, ok! I’m just asking. This may not be for you but someone needed to be reminded that it could be you and it could be worse.

Daily Devotional – 3/4/14 “Keep talking, God is listening!”

There was a woman who thought she had everything together until she lost her job and it seemed like every place she applied, denied her even though she was well qualified. Here she was scrambling to keep food on the table which was getting harder to do and a roof over their head even though the manager was knocking every day. Yet, she was on her knees every night, after the kids went to bed, praying and pleading with God to hear her. She said it was if God had forgotten about her. She was praying for food and clothes for the kids, for a job so that she could keep the small apartment they shared and for rest because she was barely sleeping. She kept asking, “Lord, are you listening?” A few days later when she woke, she got the kids up for school and prepared for them all she had for food, a few eggs and bread. She sat at the table with so much going through her mind because she needed a job, a way through. As they got ready to leave, she opened the door to find 3 large bags of groceries, some clothes for the kids, an envelope with money enough for rent and a paper with an ad circled that was looking for a receptionist and it wasn’t far from where she lived. She couldn’t believe her eyes yet she began thanking God right in the door and in the midst a small card dropped that simply said, keep talking I’m listening. See, what she didn’t know was the place where she did her nightly prayers was near the wall of her neighbor’s bedroom and he listened to her night after night and God touched his heart and gave him the means to be the blessing that she needed because He needed her to understand that we all have storms to face and just because it seems like God is too busy to hear you, he is simply saying keep talking I’m listening!

Yea, I would imagine God, as being an omnipresent (means everywhere at the same time) God, listens to a whole lot of conversations at the same time all while doing other things and when you stop, because you don’t think He’s listening, He has to send something or someone your way to let you know to keep talking because He’s listening. Isn’t that something? God hasn’t forsaken you because He doesn’t move at your command because the bible says in Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.” And if the truth shall be told, most times we aren’t asking with a clean heart, aren’t ready for what we’re asking for or really don’t need what we’re seeking after anyway so God has to take His time on answering. However, keep praying, keep fasting, keep believing, keep holding on and keep the faith because although it seems like God isn’t paying attention, he’s simply saying KEEP TALKING I’M LISTENING for it says in Mark 11:24, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

Daily Devotional – 3/3/14 “Destroying vs. breaking!”

On this Christian walk, I’ve learned that it’s sometimes necessary to ask God to destroy some things instead of breaking them. Why? Well, because broken things can be repaired. See, if you have an addiction, it needs to be destroyed but a broken heart needs to be mended. An abusive relationship needs to be destroyed but a broken spirit needs to be restored. Yea, if I’m chained by alcoholism and I asked God to break the chain, it can easily bind me with a rope but if I ask God to destroy my desire for it then there’s nothing left for it to attach itself too. If I’m attached to this spirit of lying and cheating and I ask God to break it, there’s a chance it can reattach itself to me but if I ask God to destroy it, there’s nothing left. Toxic relationships, the abuse of our children and elderly, cancer, diseases, tearing down of folk just to build someone else up, senseless killing of our children, youth suicides, spousal abuse, homelessness, lack of education for all, unemployment yet you can’t get unemployment, lack of government assistance for those who actually need it, generational curses and treating the place of worship like a worldly business … all these things have to be destroyed and not broken! It’s time that we get back to doing our Father’s business. No, no one will ever be perfect yet push to be better. Stop allowing the demons of your past to hold you down in your present, ask God to destroy them because He will. Stop breaking those things you know need to be destroyed, only for you to go back and get them to put them together again with glue. Destroy the hatred you have in your heart, the malice intent you have your mind set on, the hurt you harbor and that addiction that you’ve accepted because once it’s destroyed, it’s useless! Don’t break that which needs to be destroyed!

Daily Devotional – 2/28/14 “Check yourself!”

Someone is sitting in their car, at home, at work, in the parking lot of the grocery store, at the doctor’s or dentist office or wherever; wondering why you’re having it so hard. For the life of you, you can’t understand why you always have to go through. You can’t explain why it constantly feels like all hell is breaking loose. You try but you just don’t get why it seems like there is a dark cloud continuously following you around. Well, have you checked your attitude lately? I mean, the bible does say in Ephesians 4:26-27, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.” Oh but here you are with a temper so bad, the kids are scared to ask you for water and you have the nerve to wonder why the devil is roaming in your home. Yea, you say you want peace in your life but you’re causing hell in everybody else’s. And you even say you have peace yet it’s not evident when someone looks at you. You do know that your attitude determines your altitude, right? You walk around in a funk and then you got the audacity to say, “I got up on the wrong side of the bed,” when you know you get up on the same side every morning because it’s the side you sleep on. You’ve become so wrapped up in what people say and think about you that now you’ve conformed to the way they want you to be but if you had the right attitude, a kingdom attitude, then you’d see the blessing in not conforming because there’s a blessing in being different. See, when you accepted Christ, you accepted the calling to study God’s word for yourself because in your studying you gain knowledge which means you should no longer be ignorant of what is expected of you for 1 Peter 1:14 says, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” All I’m trying to get you to understand is your attitude plays a part in the hell you’re in. Yes, trouble is promised to us but not everything we go through is because of God for there’s a lot of mess you’re in because of you. Check yourself boo and then you may actually see the light at the end of the tunnel! Check yourself and then you may see the sun shining. Check yourself and then you may see the magnificence, the glory and the splendor of God working.